YORK, Pa. -- To prepare for an active shooter situation inside a house of worship, clergymen and women gathered for a special training at the Stillmeadow Church of the Nazarene campus in York.
Houses of worship welcome church members, neighbors, and potentially strangers with an ulterior motive. Many clergymen and women say they can never be too prepared for one of those people to be a potential threat, and it’s better to know what to do than to sit defenseless.
"There are people in your town, I don’t care if you live in a city, in one of the wealthiest townships in the state, there are people who have issues," said Tony Colgan, president of the Pennsylvania Crime Prevention Officers' Association.
Having a plan in place is what law enforcement says can make the difference between life and death.
"A lot of churches, they get comfortable. They get complacent. They feel nothing’s ever happened here. It’s a great, quiet community," said David Shallcross, executive director of the Pennsylvania Crime Prevention Officers' Association (PCPOA).
Dozens of church members trained at the Stillmeadow Church of the Nazarene in York, preparing in case someone came into their church with the intent of causing harm.
“Nobody wants to send their kid to Sunday school to be shot or to school so it’s very unfortunate, but we can’t put blinders on and act like it’s not happening," said Jeri Pickel, a member of the Zion Lutheran Church.
“I can’t do everything, but I can do something, and that’s what I wanted to learn about today," said Don Wert, the pastor at Grace Evangelical Congregation Church in Columbia.
Experts recommend churches have adequate lighting outside, an evacuation plan which has been practiced, and a discussion about what to do if someone notices a suspicious person.
Who is a suspicious person? Someone wearing layers on a warm day, a person with a large bag or backpack, or someone simply acting strange.
"Anyone who is acting off kilter. They’re confused. They’re stumbling. They’re not sure of things or they’re asking too many specific questions about your property or facility," explained Shallcross.
When asked if church members should carry, law enforcement did not recommend it, but ultimately, it's up to each facility.
“It’s your building. Just because somebody has a permit to carry does not mean they know what they are doing," said Colgan.
If someone feels threatened inside a church or sees a suspicious person, even if a person is not in a position to talk, police say to always call 9-1-1 and leave the line open for dispatchers to listen.
Last, if a person can talk to dispatchers, be a good witness and provided detail descriptions of what's going on as well as details on the suspicious person - the more detail, the better.